In view of the continuing need for renewable energy resources, solar energy is one of the primary areas of focus. Solar energy provides an abundant and readily renewable energy source without the harmful carbon emissions that are characteristic of oil, coal and natural gas. Improvements in solar panel efficiency—the panel's ability to convert more solar energy into kilowatt-hours—and in the cost of constructing the panels are making solar energy a viable alternative energy source.
It is currently known to utilize solar panel assemblies and sun-tracking systems to follow the sun's trajectory to maximize energy generation throughout the day. It is also known that tracking the sun with a solar panel assembly on one axis improves the energy capture of the solar panels by up to 25%.
It is also known to provide a one-axis tilted array which enhances solar exposure to improve energy capture. Moreover, adding a second axis of tilt to the solar panel assemblies is believed to add up to another 15% energy output. For utility scale installations this is a significant improvement. Current solar panel mounting systems are designed to withstand winds up to 100 mph. Areas with high hurricane activity require structures and panels to withstand winds up to 160 mph, that is, about 2.6 times the wind force. Accordingly, hurricane solar mounts are very expensive and still leave the glass solar panels prone to damage from flying horizontal debris. Moreover, it is known that due to the atmospheric boundary effect, winds close to the ground are much lower in speed than those even a few meters higher. As such, there is a need in the art to provide a reliable system so as to move the solar panels to a position that minimizes damage thereto in high wind conditions.